Outlet frame and gate assembly



Sept. 28, 1954 G'. B. DOREY OUTLET FRAME AND GATE ASSEMBLY Original Filed May 19, 195] 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 v INVENTOR.

OUTLET FRAME AND GATE ASSEMBLY Original Filed May 19, 1953 G. B. DOREY Sept. 28, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 28, 1954 B, DOREY OUTLET FRAME AND GATE ASSEMBLY Original Filed May 19, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN V EN TOR. J3 Don ey I V .l

Sept. 28, 1954 G. B. DOREY OUTLET FRAME AND GATE ASSEMBLY Original Filed May 19, 1951 v 4 Sheet-Sheet 4 I 511%ENTOR.

ear 6 0/" M g? Patented Sept. 28 1954 George B. Dorey, Westmount, Quebec, Canada, assignor to Enterprise Railway Equipment Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Original application May 19, .1951, Serial No.

Divided and this application August 22, 1952,'Serial No. 305,867

Claims.

1 This invention relates to an improved outlet frame and gate assembly for the discharge opening of a load containing hopper. This application is a division of application Serial No. 227,177, filed May 19, 1951.

The objects of the invention among others are:

To provide for holding the locking dog for the gate in the locked position; to employ a sealing I pin for this purpose and to prevent accidental removal of the sealing pin; and to construct the frame and associated hopper parts so that after the sealing pin is installed it cannot be removed without requiring that it be distorted.

For further comprehension of the invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawings wherein the invention is shown as applied to the load containing hopper ofa railway car.

In said drawings, Figure 1 shows a plan view of a portion of a railway car hopper with an outlet frame and gate assembly applied thereto having the improved sealing bolt, said view being partly broken away to better illustrate the parts.

Figure 2 is a view of the structure shown in Figure 1 partly in side elevation and partly in section as seen on a section line 2-2 of said Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an end elevational view of the structure shown in Figure 2 as taken on a line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on a line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a detached top plan view of the gate.

Figure 6 is a detached plan View of the frame.

Figure 7 is a vertical side elevational view of the outlet frame shown in Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a vertical end elevational View of the fram shown in Figure 7 as viewed from right to left of said last named figure.

Figure 9 is a fractional side elevational view on an enlarged scale of the outer end of the outlet assembly showing the latching dog in released position and the gate in partially opened position. I

Figure 10 is a vertical end view of thestructure shown in Figure 9 as seen from right to left, certain parts being shown in section.

Figure 11 is a longitudinal elevational view showing the shaft, operating head, pinion and arm assembly in detached relation.

Figure 12 is a vertical sectional view at an enlarged scale taken through the shaft and gate as seen on a line l2l2 of Figure 1, said view showing the pinion broken away to better illus-- trate the latching arm. I

-In said drawings the load containing hopper is indicated generally in Figures 1, 2 and 3. It is formed by side walls [0 and l I which meet with end sloping walls 12 and 13, Figure 3, to form a four-sided hopper l4 having a four-sided discharge opening [5.

Enclosing the lower portion of the four sides of the hopper M is a unitary frame 16 having a sliding gate 11, carried thereby which is providedon its underside with transversely extending rack teeth It. Cooperating with the rack teeth E8 of the gate H are pinions H) which are non-rotatably mounted on an operating shaft 20 and the latter in turn is journalled in bearings 21 on opposite sides of the frame H5.

The frame 16 in its preferred form includes an upper wall portion lying above the gate I1 and formed with walls 22, 23, 24 and 25 which overlie the respective walls Ill, ll, l2 and I3 of the hopper Id. The frame 16, below the gate ii, is formed with a four-sided chute -like portion of appreciable depth including side walls 25 and 21 which are spaced inwardly from the adjacent upper walls Hand 23 a suiiicient distance to provide fiat runway surfaces 28 at each side of the frame I B and on which the gate I1 is adapted to have lengthwise sliding movement.

The frame i6 adjacent the runway surfaces 28 is provided with upstanding guiding walls 2929 which lie adjacent the sides 30-30 of the gate and constitute guiding means for confiningthe movement of the gate to a substantially rectilinear path. The frame It at its outer end is provided with an elongated slot 3|, Figure 8, through which the gate proper extends and outwardly of said slot the gate I1 is provided with extensions 3232, Figure 5, which extend laterally outwardly beyond the ends of the slot 31 and thus result in a T shaped gate. The side walls 29 of the frame It adjacent the slot 3| are inclined as at 33 to present an outwardly diverging flared mouth and cooperable with the inclined walls 33 of the frame are similarly inclined walls 34 formed on the sides of the gate ll adjacent the lateral extensions 32.

The frame [6 adjacent the slot 3| is formed at each side with a vertically disposed angle shaped section positioned, Figure 6, cornerwise around the lateral extensions of the gate ll as indicated at 35 at the inner side of the frame and at 36 at the outer side of the frame.

Each angle shaped section 35 and 36 includes a vertically disposed longitudinally extending wall spaced outwardly beyond the lateral extension of the frame and connected therewith by a laterally extending-vertical wall, said respective walls forming section 36 at the outer side of the frame I6 are indicated at 31 and 38 respectively and the similarly disposed walls of section 35 at the inner side of the frame are indicated at 39 and 40 respectively. The outer longitudinally extending wall 3'8 extends downwardly from the upper margin of the outer sloping wall 22 of the frame It as shown in Figure 7.

The respective longitudinally disposed walls 38 and 40 are each provided with the bearings 2| in transversely aligned relation to receive the operating shaft 20. Extending downwardlyat 'an incline from the upper margin of the end sloping wall 25 of the frame is a wall 42, Figure 6, which is integrally united at each end -with the longitudinally extending walls 38 and 4'0 and there is thus provided an inverted V-shaped cowl like housing structure which forms an enclosure for the outer end of the gate 11 and operates as .a weather protection for the outer end thereof and its associated mechanism.

The operating shaft .20 is preferably of rectangular section and is provided adjacent the bearings 2! with circular hub portions 43 and 44,, Figure 11, the latter being integrally formed with an operating head 55 disposed on the outer side of wall 38. The bearing 4.3 is "in the form of a shouldered bearing held in place on the shaft 20 by a loosely mounted pin 43a as indicated in Figure 11.

Inwardly of the walls .38 and 4G and in transverse alignment with the lateral extensions 32 of the gate ll there are non-rotatably mounted on the shaft 20 arms At, Figures 11 and 12, which are each provided with an abutment face 41 arranged to contact with the end wall 48 of the gate at the rear of the lateral extension. One of the engaging faces 47 or-48 is preferably formed of arcuate shape and, as shown, said curvature is preferably formed on the gate H. The axis 49 of the radius E1 describing the arcuate end wall 48 is preferably located slightly above the pitch line 5i of the toothed .pinion and rack teeth. The difierence in location of the pitch line 5| and axis 451 .is such that, upon the establishment of contact between the engaging face -41 of the arms 46 and end wall 43 of the gate IT, the latter is advanced beyond the teeth of the .pinions l9 and the entire operation of the gate H in a closing direction thereafter is assumed .by the arms 46. The rack teeth iii of the gate 11 then move against the teeth of the pinions l9 instead of the pinion teeth moving the gate, it being understood that there is sufficient clearance or back lash between the teeth of the pinions i9 and the rack teeth It of the gate I? to compensate for the differential movement.

The gate if! is retained in closed position by reason of the arms 53 bearing against the end wall 48 and the shaft 2B is maintained against reverse rotation by means of a dog 52, Figure 2, acting on a lug 53 formed integrally with the operating head 55. The dog 52 is pivotally mounted on the frame it at 54 and is adapted to be swung to dispose a portion thereof in the path of rotation of the lug 53. There is formed in the web 55 of the dog 52 a key shaped aperture 56 for the reception of a sealing pin 51 which latter .is pivotally mounted in lugs 58 disposed, Figure 8, on the upper face of flange .42 of the cowl structure.

The lugs 58, which are preferably formed integrally with the flange 42, are provided with aligned key shaped apertures 59 which correspend in shape to the shape of the key shaped 4 end 60 of the sealing pin 51. The pin 51 is provided at its outer end with a handle portion 6! disposed at such an angle to the key shaped end 60 that the pin 51 may only be inserted through the aligned apertures v559 prior to the positioning of the frame ,on the hopper structure as will be seen by reference to Figure 9 wherein the inserting position of the pin is indicated at E52 by conventional dot and dash lines. Should there be any necessity to replace a pin on the assembled structure the operation may be carried out by heating the handle portion 6| in a suitable mannerza-nd bend-ingthe said handle to clear the sloping end wall 23 of the hopper I l.

The construction disclosed herein provides for uniform sliding movement of the gate l1 and for the forcing it with uniform pressure at each end thereof by rotation of the shaft 28. The disposition of the extensions 32 outwardly of the main bodyiof thesliding gate I! combined with the outward spacing of the longitudinally extending supporting side walls '33 and d9 of the frame It provide a rigid well-braced structure in which there is a minimum of wear on the undersurface of the gate l3 such as would marl-ts seating surface and impair itsseali-ng efficiency should the underside of the mainbody of the gate be compelled to slide over the extension runways. The outward spacing of the side walls 33 and 4!! enables the use of angle shaped extension ra'il members 63 which are thus secured to the walls 38 and Gil by one flange 64, Figure 10, and the adjacent flange 65 is horizontally disposed and constitutes the runway which supports the lateral extensions 32 of the gate ,l'l when the latter is in open position. Secured to the vertical .iianges 6d of the extension rail members are guide plates 66 to limit the sideward and upward bouncing movement of the gate H when in open position.

What is claimed as new is:

1. .In a discharge outlet structure having an openingand a gate slidably mounted for closing the opening, a locking dog pivotally mounted on said structure and .swingable to a locking position to maintain said gate against opening movement and having an unsymmetrical key shaped aperture therein, a pair of lug-s carried by said structure and having aligned unsymmetrical key shaped apertures coaxial with said key shaped aperture in said locking dog when the same is in locking position, and a bolt slidably mounted in said key shaped apertures in said lugs and having an unsymmetrical key shaped section at one end adapted to thread through said apertures and to project beyond said locking dog in locking position and ahandle at the other end, the relationship between said aligned unsymmetrical key shaped apertures in said lugs and said handle being such that the bolt is prevented by said handle from being rotated to such position that it can be withdrawn through said aligned key shapedapertures after the discharge outlet structure has been assembled 2. In a discharge outlet structure having an opening and a gate slidably mounted for closing the opening, a locking dog pivotally mounted on said structure and swingable to a locking position to maintain said gate against opening movement and having an unsymmetrical key shaped aperture therein, a pair of lugs carried by said structure and having aligned unsymmetrical key shaped apertures coaxial with said key shaped aperture in said locking dog when the same is in locking position, and a .bolt slidably mounted in said key shaped apertures in said lugs and having an unsymmetrical key shaped section at one end adapted to thread through said apertures and to project beyond said locking dog in looking position and a handle at the other end, said unsymmetrical key shaped apertures in said lugs being so located as to require insertion of said bolt therethrough in an interfering position with said discharge outlet structure and thereby compel insertion of said bolt in said path of aligned key shaped apertures prior to the complete assembly of said discharge outlet structure.

3. In combination, a discharge outlet frame for mounting on the lower ends of the converging walls of a hopper at least one of which is inclined to overlie one side of said frame, a gate slidably mounted on said frame through said one side for closing the opening through said frame, a locking dog pivotally mounted on said frame and swingable to a locking position to maintain said gate against opening movement and having an unsymmetrical key shaped aperture therein, lug means carried by said one side of said frame having an unsymmetrical key shaped aperture therethrough coaxial with said key shaped aperture in said locking dog when the same is in locking position, and a bolt slidably mounted in said key shaped aperture in said lug means and having an unsymmetrical key shaped section at one end adapted to thread through said apertures and to project beyond said locking dog in locking position and a handle at the other end extending radially from the body portion of said bolt, the relationship between said unsymmetrical key shaped aperture in said lug means and said handle being such that the bolt is prevented by said handle from being rotated to such position that it can be withdrawn through said unsymmetrical key shaped aperture in said lug means after said outlet frame has been mounted on said walls of said hopper with one of them overlying said one side of said frame.

4. In combination, a discharge outlet frame for mounting on the lower ends of the converging walls of a hopper at least one of which is inclined to overlie one side of said frame, a gate slidably mounted on said frame through said one side for closing the opening through said frame, a locking dog pivotally mounted on said frame and swingable to a locking position to maintain said gate against opening movement and having an unsymmetrical key shaped aperture therein, lug means carried by said one side of said frame having an unsymmetrical key shaped aperture therethrough coaxial with said key shaped aperture in said locking dog when the same is in looking position, and a bolt slidably mounted in said key shaped aperture in said lug means and having an unsymmetrical key shaped section at one end adapted to thread through said apertures and to project beyond said locking dog in looking position and a handle at the other end extending radially from the body portion of said bolt, said unsymmetrical key shaped aperture in said lug means-being so located as to require insertion of said bolt therethrough in an interfering position with said overlying wall of said hopper and thereby compel insertion of said bolt prior to the mounting of said frame on said hopper.

5. In combination, a discharge outlet frame for mounting on the lower ends of the converging Walls of a hopper at least one of which is inclined to overlie one side of said frame, a gate slidably mounted on said frame through said one side for closing the opening through said frame, a locking dog pivotally mounted on said frame and swingable to a locking position to maintain said gate against opening movement and having an unsymmetrical key shaped aperture therein, a pair of lugs carried by said one side of said frame having aligned unsymmetrical key shaped apertures coaxial with said key shaped aperture in said locking dog when the same is in looking position, and a bolt slidably mounted in said key shaped apertures in said lugs and having an unsymmetrical key shaped section at one end adapted to thread through said apertures and to project beyond said lockin dog in locking position and a handle at the other end extending radially from the body portion of said bolt, said unsymmetrical key shaped apertures in said lugs being so located as to require insertion of said bolt therethrough in an interfering position with said overlying wall of said hopper and thereby compel insertion of said bolt through said apertures in said lugs prior to the mounting of said frame on said hopper.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

